The Forging
by soleris
Summary: The Kokiri sword helped Link on his quest as a child. But why did a peaceful people like the kokiri need a sword to begin with? Includes background on Link coming to the kokiri forest and based on my own character. REVIEW!!
1. A Dire Need

**The Forging : A Legend Of Zelda Fanfiction. **

Chapter One: A Dire Need

A rustling off to the left attracted the attention of the alert emerald eyes. A dart flew from the intricately carved pipe, sliced through the air and embedded itself deep into the flanks of the small deku. Small, yet strong hands grasped the small creature about the ankles and hefted it out of the bush, then, the figure turned towards the house that had been carved out of a dead tree for him centuries before. As he stepped through the door, he caught a glimpse of himself in the polished glass that hung over his bed. Dark chocolate hair shaded his brilliant green eyes and brushed his pointed ears. Like all the kokiri, he was followed by a brightly glowing fairy. His was called Lani, and though he was interested, she violently protested talking about her past. He bound the deku with ropes and laid it down on the bed against the far wall. Getting down on his hands and knees, he sifted through the contents in a large wooden box under his bed. After a few moments of searching, he withdrew a small vial along with a mortar and pestle*. Gingerly, he scraped the granules of pollen off of the petals of the small shrub-creature and ground them to a fine powder with the mortar and pestle. His fairy sighed as he deposited the golden powder into the glass vial. 

"Really, Ferris, that's five samples just this morning. You _really_ need to take a break now!" He Grinned and placed the tiny vial in a bowl filled with seeds along with the other samples to prevent it from being damaged. A wide grin was plastered on his face as he turned back to Lani. "You sound like the Deku Tree, Lani." He stared up at the flitting gold ball of light "You really need to relax." She gave a low growl and shot out of the room, leaving Ferris alone to release the groggy deku. He hummed The song that his dear friend Saria had taught him over 30 years ago as he unbound the deku-shrub and carried it to the outskirts of the lost woods. He scooted it in the direction of the thick woods with his foot and chuckled to himself as it weaved in and out of a crooked line in its path towards the trees. 

Over the past month, Ferris had devoted every morning to collecting the pollen from the different species of deku scrubs in the Kokiri forest. His interest was sparked after accidentally stumbling across a badly wounded shrub one day and watching in awe as it healed itself before his eyes. As soon as he developed a sleeping poison to stun them with, he began collecting. Ferris was certain that if he could concentrate the deku-pollen, he would be able to make a potion that could ease the strange fevers that had recently spread amongst some of the other Kokiri. Most unnerving was the fact that the only Kokiri affected were those most finely attuned to nature. This realization struck all the kokiri deeply as now, their most loved friends were in danger that not one of them understood. Ferris' best friend, Saria had been the most harshly affected because of her close connection to the forest and its essence. She was too weak to even play her music that normally brightened all of the lost woods and most importantly, their special place, which none of the other Kokiri knew about, the Sacred Forest Meadow. Every evening, Ferris stayed by Saria's bedside and they talked until she was too weak to go on. Even the Deku-Tree, the guardian of all the kokiri could offer no explanation towards the illness, although he also seemed to be deeply weakened. 

As Ferris turned back towards the path that lead to his home, these thoughts weighed heavily on his mind. Now that he had collected over 30 samples, he could begin the process of selecting the proper one to use for the potion. He was abruptly torn from his thoughts as he collided with another kokiri and fell to the flat of his back. Looking up through the veil of hair, he was greeted by none other than Mido. Mido had been trying to establish himself as the 'leader' of the Kokiri by attempting to block all others than him, and Saria, access to the Great Deku Tree, claiming that with the recent fevers, no others were in a fit state to see him. Ferris, of course, had not conformed to Mido's way of thinking and spoke to the Deku Tree often. This annoyed Mido to no end, and sparked a sense of rivalry between the two. Mido was also very jealous of Ferris' close relationship with Saria and did all he could to push Ferris out of the picture.

The sneering, skinny boy offered no hand to help Ferris stand and instead crossed his arms and smirked as he watched Ferris struggle to his feet. 

"In a hurry?" He sneered. "Don't tell me that you're collecting more 'samples' for your 'miracle potion' again." 

Ferris stood a head taller than Mido and intended to use his height to full advantage. He straightened his shoulders and raised his chin.

"As a matter of fact, Mido, I am." He surveyed the sky, feigning unconcern. "And a cheery hello to you too." 

Mido, annoyed at how little affect his baiting had produced, combed his fingers through his amber hair and sneered once more as he walked off in his bow legged fashion.

Trying to push thoughts of the many ways he wanted to hurt Mido from his mind, Ferris also turned away and sprinted all the way to the river, hoping to find Lani there. As luck would have it, she had perched herself on one of the tiles spread across the water's clear surface. Ferris hated to fight with Lani and felt a deep sense of loss whenever she was away from him.

"Lani..." He started, "I really didn't mean it, and you are right, I shouldn't be this serious. Its just that I _must_ find a way to help Saria and the others." 

Upon hearing the apology, Lani brightened and flitted about his head. Just as he was about to go on, a shout erupted from the forest entrance. All the Kokiri rushed to the sound and found Warden, the kokiri who guarded the bridge in shambles. 

A deep gash ran down his left arm, and bruises were scattered across his arms and face. Trickles of blood were pooling in the folds of his clothing and the tatters that hung limply along his small frame tore at forming scabs. He collapsed into a battered heap at Ferris' feet. Hurried conversations broke out at scattered points in the crowd. A kokiri girl with her red hair tied back in a white band rushed forward and knelt next to Warden, cradling his head in her arms. Mido stepped to the front of the crowd and held up his hands to draw attention. One by one, all faces turned to his. Ferris sighed and shook his head. Mido was not making matters any better by turning this into an exhibition. The frightened eyes in the crowd were focused on Mido, awaiting his directions. Mido cleared his throat and began:

"Stay calm everyone! Warden is badly injured and needs medical attention. I suggest we bring him to the Deku-Tree!"

His suggestion was met by shouts of "Yes!" "Brilliant!" And general agreement. Mido grinned haughtily in his general direction. Ferris simply shrugged - after all, all he did was state the obvious - and stepped through the crowd. If all of the Kokiri were going to the Deku-tree, he thought Saria ought to be informed. In the general rush of the moment, no one had noticed him slip away from the crowd and jog down the wide path that led to Saria's home.

Saria had always been one of the most respected Kokiri. Mostly because of her skill with the ocarina, but also because of her uncanny ability to understand the signs of nature. Even for a Kokiri, she was skilled in the ways of the forest. For this reason, she chose to build her house directly beneath the entrance to the lost woods. Behind her hollowed out knotted stump, was a sheer cliff face that was overgrown with thick, leafy vines. Living so close to the woods put her at ease, though Ferris never understood why. 

He knocked on the door to announce his arrival before poking his head into the house. Saria liked to keep things simple since she wasn't in the house very often. A dark wooden platform in the corner served as her bed. She lay under the thick wool blanket and looked so happy to see him that his heart swelled. His mission at hand momentarily forgotten, he rushed to her bedside and beamed down at her as he put his hand on her cheek.

"Oh, Ferris! Its so good to see you!" She coughed lightly and seeing the look in his eyes added: "Is something wrong?" 

Saria always had been able to read Ferris' emotions, no matter how hard he guarded them.

"Its Warden, Saria. Something attacked him and Mido is bringing him to the Great Deku-tree." He shook his head, "We have enough complications to deal with now that you are sick, the last thing we need is a rouge Deku scrub attacking Kokiri!" The thought of it made his heart burn.

"If Mido rally is taking them all to the deku-tree, you had best go with them. Make sure the situation doesn't get out of hand." 

They both knew that in the presence of the Great Deku-tree, most of the Kokiri would be too awed to speak, let alone concern themselves with unnecessary matters. But if Mido had his way, he would work them into such a state of wariness that none would dare step out of the safety of their homes.

Ferris nodded. " Allright, ill come back later today. Bye Saria."

"Goodbye Ferris. Good luck." She closed her eyes and smiled. 

He set out down the path that led to the Great Deku-tree, but his thoughts wandered to Saria. The two of them shared a deep bond that none of the other Kokiri possessed. Ferris would die for Saria and she for him. They were as close to one another as to their Fairies, and amongst the Kokiri, that was unheard of. 

Although all the Kokiri (with the exception of Mido.) were friendly to one another, it was a passive friendship. None of the others shared a bond like him and Saria did, and that intimidated some of them. In a way, their close friendship with each other drew them farther from the others. No one wanted to be too close to those who were so....different.

He was brought back to the present as he rounded the last bend before the immense valley and the mighty tree came into sight. Even though he had ben alive for over 70 years, the sight of the massive Tree still awed him.

The Great Deku-tree had existed since before any of the Kokiri could remember. It was ageless. It had been there before the Kokiri, before the Fairies, and even before the forest itself. it stood over one hundred feet tall and just as wide. Its mighty boughs expanded across the sky, blotting out the sun, and between its thick foliage, fairies flitted from leaf to delicate leaf. The bark of the Great deku Tree was dark and deeply lined and features of an elderly face seemed to be cut into the mighty trunk. Ferris bowed his head low in respect of the mighty tree and stepped forward slowly. 

He glanced at the throng of Kokiri in the valley. They huddled together around Wardens' body and all looked expectantly at Mido. It seemed that now that he was actually in front of the tree, he had lost his nerve.

A Breeze blew down through the valley and rustled the leaves of the majestic tree. The Deku Tree didn't speak, rather, he projected words from nature itself.

Kokiri....Thou hast brought with your party, a wounded member. Does a one of you have knowledge of how this came to pass?

The Kokiri shifted uncomfortably. Warden had slipped out of consciousness before he had had the chance to relay his story. 

The Great Deku- Tree seemed to understand and he bent one of his mighty boughs to Wardens limp form. Immediately, all of his wounds closed over and his eyes fluttered open. Within a moment, he had taken in his surroundings, his tattered clothes and the concerned faces of his fellow Kokiri, and shot up with a start. They eased him back down, assuring him he would be all right and once he had gotten a better grasp of the situation, he began:

"Wolfos! There was a wolfos on the bridge! I wasn't expecting it! I had no chance against a wolfos!" He panted. All of the other Kokiri gasped and looked terrified at the thought of a wolfos in their peaceful forest. 

The Great Deku-tree heaved a mighty sigh and looking down upon the frightened forest-children, found itself feeling wearier than it had for eons. The Magical fields surrounding the forest that normally kept out dangerous influences like this one had weakened at the same time that the mysterious illness took hold of the forest. 

As the deity of the forest, the Great Deku-tree possessed more wisdom than any other being alive, but not even he could explain the terrible situations befalling the land of Hyrule. A simple wolfos was the least of The troubles in the land when this disturbing power coming from the desert was at hand.

The Deku-tree spoke once more to the Kokiri.

"The Wolfos, and possibly other threats, thou must learn to handle on your own. Much more than this attack concerns me about the presence of a wolfos. It is a sign that the forest barriers are weakening.. I leave the responsibility of the wolfos with you all." 

Taking it as a sign of dissmisal, the Kokiri all walked past Ferris and out of the valley to leave the Deku-tree at peace. This is why Ferris, who stayed behind was the only one who heard the Great deku-Tree's final message.

"Danger looms on the Horizon of our peaceful forest, and i fear that nothing i can do will deter what is coming........... May the Goddesses have mercy on the forest-children."

With these words weighing heavily on his mind, Ferris turned and Walked back to the Kokiri Village.

Something would have to be done. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TBC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: I found some stuff on a zelda website so here goes: This story takes place pre OoT, (about 11 years, to be exact) during the wars that someone or other fought. Either Ganondorf or some other homocidal evil wizard. It basically concerns how the kokiri sword came to be. Why Saria was so attached to link . Mido's unexplainable dislike of Link and the general history of link's arrival in the forest. Youll see. But only if you review!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!!! 


	2. A Deeper Involvement

Sorry about the delay. My bad. Midterms and stuff. Er...sorry? *Cough*

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The Forging: A legend Of Zelda Fanfiction 

Chapter Two: A Deeper Involvement.

The only possible thing that could have rectified the situation at this point was a miracle. One that would have to be delivered on swift wings to help them at this crucial time. 

The strange illness running rampant, the wolfos, and now an ominous warning from the Great deku tree. 

The most immediate problem was that of the wolfos. It was the first one to surface outside of the forest meadow in well over three hundred years. Saria drove most of them off with her soft melodies. Harmful creatures seemed to dissipate when they heard her song. 

Ferris immediately ran half a dozen strategies through his mind. Everything from driving it out to capturing it. He finally settled on the conclusion that it would have to be killed, for when wolfos are left to develop territory, it attracts more of them. As much as Ferris hated to harm any component of the forest, it was the lesser of two evils. The most difficult thing about killing the wolfos would be...well.....to kill it. 

It would require a few of the stronger kokiri; Possibly himself, Tori, Jasckel and as much as he hated to admit it, Mido. Weapons were not kept in the forest except for times of need so an afternoon would have to be set aside just for the purpose of sharpening deku-sticks and gathering seeds. All so much trouble for a simple wolfos. 

It was a natural trait of kokiri to be relatively weak. The Great deku tree was by far their most powerful commodity, as well as their deity, due to its magical potency and power. This tended to leave them with the short end of the stick when it came around to natural selection. 

Oh, they have their strong points. Unnaturally agile and fairly swift, as well as their own communications with nature gave them the opportunity to avoid most confrontation but when it came to open fighting, they were dealt slim chances. 

So naturally, situations like this one required planned action and cooperation with a group of the Kokiri. Not a small task when the most of them are 'granted' childlike blissful ignorance and a desire to do little more than play in the sacred meadow. 

Ferris was usually given the job of compiling a band of volunteers to dispose of the larger creatures who wandered into the forest, but he doubted he could find any willing to face up to a monster like the wolfos. 

They ate kokiri for breakfast. 

Before he was given the chance to go any further with his thoughts, he found himself back at the entrance to his tree. Lani, who had fallen asleep sitting at his shoulder, now jumped up and stretched out her wings. She flitted around excitedly, embarrassed that she had dozed off. It wasn't a complete unlikelihood with the lazy afternoon atmosphere settling over the village. Even Ferris felt inclined to just sit back and forget all the troubles plaguing him. The problems were to pressing to dismiss that quickly though, and he soon found himself back at his desk, scanning over his samples. 

Something was missing. He had compiled three full trays of vials and now a scattered few were gone with no clues left as to who had taken them. Ferris glared around as if expecting the culprit to surface any moment but after it produced no effect, he gave a weary sigh and headed for the door. 

Before he was given opportunity to fully exit though, he heard a soft snuffle from somewhere in the room. It was coming from under his bed and he was willing to bet he knew who it was. He stalked back across the room and yanked the indignified Mido from beneath the bed and pulled him to his feet. Mido stood there as if it were the most natural place to be in the world, clutching the missing vials in his hand, and looking around the room with feigned disinterest. 

"Mido." Ferris warned, and his head came snapping around at the sound of his name. "Tell me what in deku's name you are doing with my research before i throw you out the window."

Mido flinched as Ferris pulled the delicate samples from his grasp and pretended like he hadn't heard properly. Ferris was getting sick of his stupid behavior and heaved him up against the far wall ( with some difficulty) before asking again.

"Ill ask you for the last time, Mido. Im not in the mood today, i have places to be."

Mido finally turned red and muttered under his breath before sputtering out a rushed response. 

"You've been locking yourself up and working on this stupid antidote for two weeks and I think I could do a better job." He challenged. "All i needed were a few samples to start from."

"You don't know the first thing about medicine."

"Yes I do. I know what that know-it-all Weled taught me."

Ferris had to admit that Weled tended to know things about the forest that no one else even thought of, but no way was he going to let Mido get away with it. 

"So by stealing my research, you thought that you could find the antidote and make the others beg and worship you for it." He spat "You're no better than a dirty stalchild!" 

"That's not true!" Mido shouted, leaving Ferris a bit taken aback. "I was worried about Saria you woodhead!" 

Ferris released his hold on Mido's tunic to let him drop a few inches. It was understandable that he was worried, they all were, but he seemed particularly concerned about Saria all the time. 

"What are you getting at Mido?" 

"I just want some recognition, that's all." He turned his eyes to the floor. "You and Saria always do everything together and that leaves the rest of us a bit short-ended."

Ferris couldn't what he was hearing. And then suddenly, it dawned on him. 

"You _like_ her don't you!?" He laughed a bit "and all this time i thought you were just trying to make me look stupid. To think that you have a soft spot for Saria!" He trailed off. 

"Quit it." Mido muttered. "Ill just leave."

He headed for the door, shuffling his feet, his head bowed low and he had almost reached the ladder on the porch when Ferris called out. 

"I wont tell her Mido."

Mido looked relieved and let a little smile slip but caught himself and glared at nothing in particular before departing for his home. 

Once Ferris was sure Mido had made it completely out of earshot, he burst out in wild laughter, bending over double to clutch his sides and tears leaked out down his cheeks in mirth while Lani flitted and shook about his head in amusement. He gasped out between his laughter: 

"I wont tell her because she'd be scared out of her wits if she knew!!" 

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After he had settled himself a bit ( still chuckling whenever he thought of it) he made his way down to Saria's house and filled her in briefly on the situation. He tried to make it out to be better than it really was but she quickly saw the seriousness of the problem

They sat in silence on her bed for a while before she finally tucked her green hair behind her ear and spoke. 

" The only way out of it is to kill the wolfos." Ferris hardened his expression at that, because for Saria to say something so grave (when she valued the lives of all the creatures in the forest, down to the tiniest deku-baba) Made it a confirmation of the truth he had already accepted. He outlined his plans for who should go and what it would take and together they worked out a few minor details before he remembered the grave parting words of the deku tree. 

When he relayed the message, Saria turned white and her grip on the sheets tightened. She furrowed her brow and bit her lip and looked so distressed that Ferris had to push her gently back onto her pillow, regretting that he had told her. 

He soothed her a bit by updating her on his research and how the village was doing but after he said his goodbyes and stood up to leave, she reached out and grabbed his rough hand with her small one. 

"Ferris, the great Deku-tree has mad predictions before in my lifetime, and to this day, not one of them has been wrong." She was practically shaking now, and her fairy was huddling closer to her "Im scared Ferris. Something is going to happen to us. Even the trees can sense it, when i talk to them, they're restless." 

"Shhhh Saria! Don't get excited, its bad for your health!" Ferris whispered.

"No! Ferris, something bad is coming, and im worried. I promise not to get excited, but you need to know that we cant dismiss this lightly." She shivered. "We need to prepare for the worst."

Ferris Nodded and squeezed her hand, her grasp went limp after a while and her breathing grew slow and shallow. Once her fairy stilled, he knew she was in deep sleep. He laid her hand down on the bed and lightly brushed her emerald bangs out of her face, whispering a silent goodnight before he slipped out the front door and back to his tree.

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The next morning Greeted the Kokiri village with cloudy but golden skies. The sun shone dimly between the light clouds and gave the whole forest the air of being basked in amber. Ferris spent the morning collecting three more samples and testing a few of them, but once afternoon rolled around, he faced the fact that he couldn't delay organizing the wolfos hunt any longer. 

He made his way down to the know-it-all brother's house, a wide, hollow stump with a constantly burning hearth in the center. It was the grounds the kokiri used for their rare councils and emergencies. Ferris approached Bist, the middle know-is-all who was sitting on a stump outside of the house holding a device he once explained to Ferris called an abacus. He looked up as Ferris approached but when he spoke, his eyes were back on the abacus. 

"Its about time you got here." He shook his head. "We need you to get that council together for the wolfos hunt."

So he knew already, Ferris wasn't surprised to see. Bist tended to be the most logical of the brothers and he had probably known the minute that Warden revealed the problem, what would have to be done. 

Ferris nodded a brief hello to him and entered the stump, to be greeted by Weled, the youngest, and decidedly most annoying of the brothers. He bombarded Ferris with questions about his samples and recent developments in his work to which Ferris replied politely, though not enthusiastically. It took several minutes for him to be rescued by Domi and Anno, the elder twin know-it-all's.

He relayed his plan and they gave him their input. Above all the other Kokiri, he respected these two, the eldest Kokiri next to Saria, and both were wise and grounded individuals. Everyone, even Mido, looked to them in times of trouble for their wisdom, and their advice was always a welcome commodity. They agreed to host a council there that night to deal with the wolfos and asked Ferris only to gather the Kokiri on the east side of the village, while they handled the west. After formalities were exchanged, Anno set out to inform the west end of the council gathering while Domi took Ferris aside to have a private word with him. 

"The others are growing restless Ferris. I trust that you will lead the wolfos hunt?" At Ferris' nod, he continued. "Good. The only matter I have then to discuss is this: earlier today, I went for a walk in the lost woods and encountered something most disturbing. I have kept it from everyone thus far, even Anno, at the risk of widespread panic."

By now Ferris was enthralled and overly anxious to hear the news.

"As you know, when we found Warden, he was without his fairy. I hoped that she would turn up in time, but this morning I was shown otherwise. I found her Ferris. She was barely alive, struggling to reach the Fairy fountain in the meadow. Her wings had been torn and her body was crushed. After I carried her there to heal, she told me that the wolfos had carried her off in its teeth and she lost consciousness but before she did, she heard a most disturbing thing. She swore to me on the life of her great Fairy, that she had been taken back by the wolfos, to a small band of Hylians!"

Ferris' breath caught in his throat. He searched for a reply, some logical explanation that could make the story go away, but he found none. He combed through his chocolate hair with his fingers and tried to steady his breathing. If what The fairy said was true, a Wolfos was the least of their problems. By then, Weled had wandered over to ask about the council and a meaningful look between Ferris and Domi was assurance that this development would stay between them until they learned more about it. Ferris tried to find a polite excuse to depart, but he didn't even register the reply. His head was buzzing with the news he had just absorbed. 

He wandered across the village, occasionally telling another kokiri about the council, but his mind could only focus upon the possibility that Hylians had invaded the barrier protecting their forest. 

The Great Deku tree's prediction was coming true in less time than anyone could have imagined. 

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Know what's sad? Getting only 2 reviews for chapter one is sad. But thanks sooo much to you guys who did review. Salutes go out to you. 

Like it? hate it? Leave a review. I need input to go on. 

I think i might make this into a ....10-16 chapter thing. Sort of a long one. It will be angsty and a bit involved.

But only if u review!! 


	3. The KnowItAll Council

Without the bustling children milling about the village, the kokiri forest had an air of sullenness amongst the trees. For the one evening, they were to convene at the Know-it-All house for a rare council on the danger nearing the forest. The thirty something head-count of kokiri all managed to pack themselves into the small room and were milling about, shoulder to shoulder. 

Ferris, who was half a head taller than the average kokiri, scanned the crowd and did a mental checklist for everyone who he saw. This meeting was an important one, and all of the kokiri needed to be aware of the seriousness of the situation. 

Saria had decided to stay at home for the night. She had been going through a rough spell in her sickness since Ferris had told her about the Deku-tree's warning. He felt a guilty weight settle in the pit of his stomach as he thought of all the stress he had caused with that little piece of information. The worsening of her condition was yet another reason for Ferris to push himself even further into his research. 

The buzzing whispers of the crowd faded off slowly and all the youthful faces in the room turned to the fire pit, where Domi and Anno had taken seats on the floor. 

"Kokiri." Anno called. "We have summoned you to this council under a matter of greatest importance."

Domi took up where he left off "As you all know, warden was attacked a fornight ago by a wolfos. We invited you all here in the interests of increased security."

"For the sake of all our safety" Finished Anno. 

The kokiri milled about, largely ignoring the importance of the situation, but they. 


End file.
